Book picks similar to
Cross Stroke by Elizabeth Hartey


sports
sports-romance
college
new-adult

Payback


Amy Daws - 2019
    Her cheating ex deserves to see her living her best life; a one-night-stand with a hot South African soccer player would be the perfect revenge. Right? Wrong. Allie is so, so wrong. ROAN DEWALT HAS ALL THE MOVES. On and off the field he’s at the top of his game. Roan respects hard-work, dedication—and follow through. He’s not a one and done kind of man, and he’s far from being done with Allie Harris. One sexy night and two years later, Allie’s job brings her back to town. An opportunity for the perfect replay Roan has been fantasizing about since they slept together. THE PROBLEM? Allie Harris has a secret; one she’s been keeping from Roan all this time. Video proof of their one night together—taken without his consent. Will Allie’s payback plan come back to bite them both? Or can she erase her past mistake and embrace a new future with Roan?

Agony


Kaylee Ryan - 2020
    Every milestone, every memory of my youth was entangled with his. We were inseparable... until college.It wasn’t his friends, girls or even sports that came between us— it was me. Tired of being in the friend zone, I finally made a move. Turns out it was the wrong one. Cooper walked away to play his first year of professional football and left me behind with a broken heart. Cooper It’s always been her. Even before I really knew what love was, Reese Latham was by my side, making me swear we’d be best friends forever. And we were... until one night changed everything. I knew how she felt because I felt it too, but I pushed her away to save our friendship. The longer we’re apart, the more I realize she’s not only my best friend, Reese is the love of my life.I was kidding myself thinking I could let her go because now I know that living without her is the worst kind of agony.

Fever


Melissa Pearl - 2014
     Ella Simmons does not want to move across the country. But she is, because her boyfriend has persuaded her to join him at UChicago to finish out her college education. Never able to tell him no, she hops on a plane and makes the trek from LA expecting to adjust to life like she's often forced to, but things are not that simple when she hears a luscious voice singing over her shower wall. His deep, sexy tenor makes her weak in the knees, spreading fire through her limbs and making her question everything about her life and relationship. Can one voice really have that much of an impact? Cole Reynolds is on his way out. In his final year at UChicago, the only thing he wants to do is finish school and get on with his life. But the sweet voice that interrupts his morning shower turns his world upside down. Compelled to find his shower songbird, he begins a search across campus. The only thing to distract him from this goal is his roommate's gorgeous girlfriend who's just arrived from LA - Ella Simmons. Relationships are put to the ultimate test as future dreams are questioned and friendships are thrown on the line for love. ALL THE SONGBIRD NOVELS CAN BE READ AS STAND ALONE BOOKS.

Complicate Me: Reid & Sienna #1


Claire Raye - 2020
    A two-part, angst-filled, slow-burn, epic love story. Complicate Me must be read before Complete Me in order to enjoy the full story. Life at its simplest is still complicated.Reid Bowen is her brother’s best friend and the biggest womanizer on campus. She has no business wanting him. Sienna Parker is forbidden and the sweetest fruit he can never taste. But if he can’t have her, no one can. Forced together by a road trip home, it will not only test their patience, but also their resolve to stay away from each other. Bound by their past, it’s the complicated that changes their lives. The Hawthorn Hills Duet Series follows eight couples. Each two-book duet must be read in order to enjoy the couple’s full story, but the series can be read in any order. You’ll find angst-filled, slow-burn, epic love stories along with topical storylines and some amazingly real and raw characters.

Delayed Penalty


Sophia Henry - 2015
    Thankfully, I landed a gig as a translator for a minor-league Russian hockey player. Sadly, the initial enthusiasm was short lived.One glance and I immediately recognized my new client as the same arrogant jerk who came on to me at the bar the night before. Sure, Aleksandr Varenkov was sexy--with his chiseled muscles and alluring grin. That didn’t change the fact that he’s a notorious womanizer. While our working relationship started as friendly as a hard check on the ice, I soon saw a softer side to Aleksandr that left me entertaining thoughts of a trip for two to the penalty box. After all I’ve been through, I can’t risk letting my guard down for a hot-headed player with a bad reputation. Still... how can I resist an attraction hot enough to melt the ice?This is a New Edition of a previously published book. There is exclusive, NEW content.

Sweet Girl


Cristin Harber - 2014
     Nicola Hart grew up under the heels of her older brother and his sexy best friend, Cash Garrison. Years of ignoring her spark with Cash has transformed their friendship into a slow burning sizzle. One night with him could ruin everything. Or it could be more than she ever dreamed. They play. They flirt. But they haven't crossed the line because too much is at stake. Family. Friendship. And the deepest kind of love that she'd have to be crazy to walk away from. She's his best friend's little sister. The definition of hands off. Cash has tried to ignore her for years. Those innocent eyes and her smile that screams kiss-me-if-you-dare... Instead, he's looked at every pretty little thing who's crossed his path, all to ignore the girl he seems destined to want. But when his hard partying ways get old and everyone at school is interested in Nicola, it's time to stake a claim. To make Nicola his girl, no matter the risks, and hold the hand of the one he really loves.

Quick Trick


Skye Jordan - 2015
    If he has to be off the ice for three weeks of recovery, he‘ll do it on his back—breaking in a new wanna-be cowgirl every night. But pressure from the team’s owner and Grant’s parents land him in his hometown of Holly, North Carolina instead. Things look up when he learns the hometown beauty who was once so out of his league is now single, and sexier than ever. Determined to slip in a night with her while he’s in town, Grant is shocked to discover one will never be enough. Faith Nicholas has no interest in the newest Saber-son gossip. After losing her father just months before, she is now on the verge of losing their family hardware store—which is also her home. She couldn’t care less about the Saber’s big money or flashy toys. But she can’t seem to keep Grant out of her store--or her dreams. His magnetic charisma is impossible to ignore, and the longer he stays in town, the more she finds to love about a man who isn’t as superficial as he’d like others to believe.With a struggling store, four-hundred miles and a rigorous hockey season looming between them, Grant will have to pull out his very best moves if he’s going to make this quick trick last forever. ROUGH RIDER HOCKEY NOVELSQUICK TRICKHOT PUCKDIRTY SCOREWILD ZONE

The Best Mistake


Cookie O'Gorman - 2020
    Too bad she ends up in the wrong bed, with the wrong brother…who gives her the hottest night of her life.Archer O'Brien just wants to play ball.Well that, and for his brothers to stop acting out, so he won't have to worry 24/7. As the oldest O'Brien and team captain, it's his duty to make sure they don't drink too much, party too much, or get in too much trouble. But when she walks into his bedroom—mistaking him for his brother—life throws him a curveball.She's determined to guard her heart. He's not giving up.And when Honor gets assigned to cover the Wolves baseball team, it's game on.This new adult sports romance features one hot (and hilarious) case of mistaken identity and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.Sometimes, the best mistakes are worth making.

Beauty and the Blitz


Sosie Frost - 2016
    Spit out the apple. Fall for The Beast. All-star linebacker Cole Hawthorne is a beast on the field, destroying offenses one broken quarterback at a time. Though he’s a gifted athlete, his violent reputation makes him a liability to his team and a villain in the league. As Cole’s agent, it’s my responsibility to convince the brooding loner that being traded is better than getting banished from the game. If he loses his contract, this single mom is out of a job. So, it’s up to me to tame the beast. But the closer I get to the ferocious monster, the harder I fall for the passionate man underneath. He’s crude and charming. Tough and sweet. Dangerous…but even he can’t resist my baby’s giggle. Denying my feelings might protect my heart, but the trading deadline is closing in. When Cole reveals the dirty truth about the trade, I can’t let the league rip us apart. Do I save my career…or do I protect a man who deserves a happily ever after? Maybe no one can love a beast… But they haven’t met Cole Hawthorne. Beauty and the Blitz is a flirty, standalone romantic comedy with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. As a special release celebration and a thank you to my readers, Sweetest Sin and Bad Boy's Baby are included as FREE bonus books with this file! All three books are full-length, 350+ paperback pages of deliciously sexy romance.

Lessons In Love


Jessica Peterson - 2016
    Charming. Funny as hell. Too bad sexy Spaniard Rafa Montoya is off limits.Yeah, I fantasize about what his mouth can do other than speak four languages during our tutoring sessions. But I need to focus on bringing up my crappy grades, not his mouth. And I don't want to fall for yet another guy I can't have in the long run—I'm leaving Madrid to go back home at the end of the semester.The icing on the cake? My best friend Maddie is crushing on Rafa, too. Hard.Keeping my distance shouldn't be difficult, considering the attraction I feel for him is obviously one-sided. Only, it’s not. One earth shattering encounter involving a bathroom stall, a kiss to end all kisses, and a semi-public orgasm tells me he’s feeling it, too. The connection we share is impossible to resist.He wants me. I want him. But I'm leaving Madrid soon. And I know it will break Maddie's heart if she finds out about us.I need to keep things friendly with Rafa before we all get hurt. I just wish he’d stop being so damn wonderful—and so damn great in bed. I never imagined learning Spanish would be this much fun…or cause this much trouble. The books in the STUDY ABROAD series are STANDALONE stories and can be read in any order!

Falling for Autumn


Heather Topham Wood - 2014
    Everyone thought they knew what happened the spring night Autumn’s world fell apart. Vicious rumors about the incident circulated, and she had to be homeschooled the last year of high school to escape her tormentors. All she wants now is to get away from it all and start over at Cook University. She leaves everything but the memory behind—something she swore she’d never forget—and sets off to rebuild what was broken.Blake Preston is precisely the type of guy Autumn wants to avoid. He’s gorgeous, arrogant and the college’s beloved football star. As much as she believes he’s someone she should steer clear of, avoiding him proves to be impossible. He shows up everywhere around campus, offering her a no-strings attached friendship. Autumn can’t deny Blake stirs up emotions she thought fled years ago. But things he’s been hiding begin to emerge and collide with her past, leaving her heart ravaged in their wake.Standalone New Adult Romance-Ages 17+ Due to Strong Language and Sexual Situations

Unbreakable


Rebecca Shea - 2013
    She’s a good daughter, makes excellent grades, and always strays on the safe side of life. The last thing she thought would ever happen was falling in love with her best friend’s brother. But sometimes fate just has a way of bringing two people together. Wide receiver for the University of Arizona, Gabe Garcia, seems to have it all. When his feelings for Jessica come to surface, Gabe will give up everything to be with her. But what happens when a tragedy abruptly changes the course of your life? For Jessica and Gabe, everything they thought they knew about each other will be questioned. Sometimes, there are scars in life that are cut too deep to completely heal. Will their love prove to be unbreakable, or will it shatter and prove fate is just another lie?*This book contains mature subject matter and is not intended for those under 17 years of age.*

In the Grasp


Cadence Keys - 2020
    She's the newest reporter for the LA Chronicle.Paige O'Malley has worked her ass off for her career, and now she's just landed her dream job with the biggest paper on the west coast. They broke each other's hearts nine years ago. Now fate is giving them another chance to get it right.When Paige gets assigned to write an exposé on Jack, she must decide where her loyalties lie: with the career of a lifetime or the love of her life. In the Grasp is the first contemporary sports romance in the LA Wolves series. Jack and Paige's story begins in Intentional Grounding.

This Much is True


Katherine Owen - 2013
    A ballerina who lies. A baseball player who believes her. Well, the truth changes everything. Tally Landon just wants to escape her tragic story if just for one night. She doesn't count on meeting Lincoln Presley, Stanford's baseball wonder, but plans to add him to her long list of one-night stands. That's the plan. Lying to him about her age and her name is just a part of her don't-get-emotionally-attached style. She doesn't count on being found out, nor on ever seeing Linc again or falling in love. Lincoln Presley's life is all mapped out. There is only baseball. With the major leagues circling their favorite prospect with a lucrative offer, he cannot afford to mess up. And, he doesn't; until he meets up with the girl he saved from the burning wreckage on the 101 on Valentine's Day months before. By the time he learns her real name and of all the lies she's told, he's in far too deep to ever really let her go. When fame and lies tear them apart, one truth remains; and fate, most definitely, has a different set of plans. This much is true.Author's Note: A coming of age story? Could be. A powerful love story? Most definitely. An unforgettable read? Most likely. Intended for mature audiences, ages 17+? Absolutely. This best selling new adult contemporary romance novel will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride and is the first book (which should really be two books) in the Truth In Lies series, but it can be read as a standalone. It is 432 pages long in 12-point type so carve out some time.

Pucker Up


Sara Hubbard - 2017
    He was the college hockey star every girl wanted a piece of and who every guy wanted to be. But I didn’t know he existed. Not until the editor of the school paper agreed to give me a position in exchange for writing an article about him and his private life. I want the position. More than anything. It’s been part of my plan for as long as I can remember. But associating with jocks isn’t something I’m comfortable with given how unpopular and awkward I was in high school. I can’t let that stand in my way, though. I’m too stubborn for that.I devise a plan to cross paths with him and it works better than I thought it would. I don’t tell him what I’m up to, and by the time I start to realize what all the fuss is about, it’s too late. My lie threatens to expose his darkest secrets and also break my heart.